HTC: Widgets not important to most Android users

The new BlinkFeed screen brings you your social networks and news feeds

HTC has really changed the Android homescreen experience with Sense 5. With the BlinkFeed providing social network updates along with news, you are seeing real time information that is not only important to you, but also is fresh. You might have a weather widget on your home screen that gives you the current temperature, but how many times a day is that information actually useful to you? BlinkFeed is designed to present you with information that is important to you at all times.

The Taiwan based manufacturer really listened intently to what it's customers had to say. HTC learned that 90% of its customers don't care about widgets. HTC also found out that most people don't differentiate between apps and widgets. Outside of weather, clock and music widgets, only 10% of HTC's customers used any widgets at all. And while some Android users do customize their home screen when they first take possession of their smartphone, once the first month of ownership passes, 80% do not change their home screen at all.

While previous versions of Sense leaned heavily on widgets, this research conducted by HTC led to the BlinkFeed screen and this huge change. And considering that only 10% of Android users care about widgets based on the Taiwan based manufacturer's research, it wouldn't seem that HTC is taking a risk at all.

i'll be dumping android off the trash if not only for the widgets and customization...i barely go to the app drawer to open apps..but instead almost all the apps that i open has widgets..so widgets really make it an easy access and at the same time gives your phone a good look, not just showing a bunch of icons...

HTC also don think multitasking is important to.have sense force close all background tasks making some Android apps incompatible. HTC might as well come out their own mobile OS. If it is truly better than Android I will buy them.

"Uninformed" is very different from "uninterested". I love messing around and customizing, but I really only use about 2 widgets: weather and screen filter (best app if you use your device in the dark). I've got other widgets on my homescreens, but I don't know that I've ever touched any of them.

67.Hemlocke (unregistered)

Now, now, Dexter, let's not get TOO carried away.
Honestly, I like a bunch of widgets, but unless you have the hands of a basketball player to use the Note 2, or you like Motorola's locked down MAXX, the trade off between widgets and battery life is not worth it. I guess if you are close to an outlet all the time it might be, but barring that, I usually ditch the widgets to save my juice.

Haha! I wondered if you were the same Hemlocke as XDA. How have you been? Honestly, I get at least a full day with anywhere between 2 and 5 hours screen on time. Widgets don't cause a major battery drain for me. I don't have a bunch of widgets. I have the sharp and clean Google Now widgets and it gives me all the information I need. I also have the circle battery widget. Someone else on here says they like a nice clean look. I think my setup is very clean looking. The UCCW widget can have hotspots to launch applications. It is by far the most intuitive widget out there. Don't take my word for it. Look at what people have done with widgets to make their homescreens as minimal, clean or as complicated as you want.http://mycolorscreen.com/

I don't like widgets because I like the simplicity and cleanness of the home screen. I replaced widgets with shortcuts. For instance, I just click the weather shortcut if I need to check the weather instead of keeping the weather widget running/occupying all the time on my home screen.

Also, I only have two pages of home screens and it's very easy to find everything I want just in one flip.

Only a few are actually important, in my case I like to use the power control, clock/weather and the news widgets on my homescreen. Because in reality a bunch of icons isn't too appealing *cough iOS cough*.

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